Age related hearing loss halted with folate nutrient

(NaturalNews) Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the United States, and more than 36 million Americans have lost some of their hearing. Mostly, hearing loss is blamed on getting older. But evidence is accumulating that the real culprit could be a lack of B vitamins — especially folate. For example, in 2007 scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands studied 728 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 and found that by taking folic acid supplements, age-related hearing loss in the low frequency range was significantly delayed. Then, at last year’s American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego, a Boston-based research team discussed evidence showing that when men over the age of 60 had a high folate intake from foods and/or vitamins, they decreased their risk of losing their hearing by 20%. Now a new study, dubbed the Blue Mountains Hearing Study and headed by scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia, has revealed yet another important link between folate and hearing. The researchers found that when people have low levels of the B vitamin in their blood, they have a significantly increased risk of hearing loss. The research was recently published in The Journal of Nutrition . The study, which involved researchers from several Australian universities, looked at 2,956 people age 50 and up. Blood levels of vitamin B-12, folate and homocysteine were measured and then compared to the amount of hearing loss in the research subjects. The results? People with low levels of folate (below 11 nanomoles per liter) had a 34% increased risk of hearing loss. What’s more, elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine (over 20 micromoles per liter) were linked to a 64% increase in the risk of hearing loss. Excess levels of homocysteine have previously been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and memory problems. Too much homocysteine is also believed to disrupt normal blood flow to the inner ear — which could possibly explain the homocysteine and hearing loss connection. And a body of earlier research has concluded adequate B vitamin levels are associated with normal homocysteine levels in the blood. NaturalNews has previously reported on other ways folate is important to maintaining and protecting health. For example, studies show it may protect from breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/027588_folate_brst_cancer.html) and help prevent memory loss, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/012163.html). For more information: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/jn.110.122010v1http://www.nutrientreference.com/folate.html

Finding A Cosmetic Doctor- Tips And Advice

There are many considerations to keep in mind when hiring a cosmetic doctor. There are dangers involved in any surgery and cosmetic surgery shouldn’t be taken lightly. You will want to choose a cosmetic doctor as carefully as you would choose any other doctor. There are certain general guidelines that any potential cosmetic surgery patient [...]

Viagra linked to hearing loss

(NaturalNews) Erectile dysfunction drugs such as viagra appear to double the risk of long-term hearing loss, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama-Birmingham and published in the journal Archives of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery . Viagra, generically known as sildenafil, is a drug in the phosphodiesterase type five inhibitor (PDE-5i) family. The FDA requires that the labels of all PDE-5is, including Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, carry a prominent “black box” warning about the risk of sudden hearing loss. In addition, prior studies have shown that PDE-5is can increase the risk of hearing loss in mice. “Before the current paper the focus has always been on sudden hearing loss,” said James E. Saunders of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., who was not involved in the study. “This study suggests that maybe there are small incremental changes that occur over time.” Researchers conducted an epidemiological study on 11,526 U.S. males over the age of 40. While only one in six men who had never taken a PDE-5i drug were deaf or hard of hearing, the rate of hearing loss was twice as high — one in three — among men who were taking an erectile dysfunction drug. “It appears from these findings that the current government warning regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE-5i medications is warranted,” researcher Gerald McGwin said. “Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients using these medications be warned about the signs and symptoms of hearing impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention to potentially forestall permanent damage.” Saunders agreed with this conclusion, advising that men already suffering from hearing loss avoid the use of PDE-5i drugs. Some researchers have suggested that the very same mechanism that makes erectile dysfunction drugs work might also damage other systems in the body. “PDE-5i medications work in erectile dysfunction patients by their ability to increase blood flow to certain tissues in the body,” McGwin said. “It has been hypothesized that they may have a similar effect on similar tissues in the ear, where an increase of blood flow could potentially cause damage leading to hearing loss.” Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64I6YA20100519; http://healthandfitnesstimes.com/possible-hearing-loss-from-viagra/774/; http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-21-viagra-hearing_N.htm

New research: sporadic type of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow) results from surgery

(NaturalNews) There is probably no more horrific and frightening incurable disease than Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Also known as the human form of mad cow disease, this degenerative, always fatal brain disorder strikes about one person in every million worldwide each year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). CJD results in the brain literally being turned into sponge-like, hole-filled tissue (the reason the disease is also known as spongiform encephalopathy ). It usually runs a rapid course, causing failing memory, hallucinations, lack of coordination and visual disturbances followed by total mental deterioration, involuntary movements, blindness and coma. Although some cases are known to be caused by eating meat containing mad cow disease-causing infectious prions, by far the most common form of the illness is known as sporadic CJD. The NINDS says sporadic CJD accounts for at least 85 percent of the cases. Supposedly, sporadic CJD just strikes out of the blue for no particular reason. But Spanish scientists say they’ve found compelling and disturbing evidence that people are infected with the disease during operations. “Based on the monitoring records of spongiform encephalopathy in two Nordic countries, we studied the possibility of transmission of the sporadic form of CJD through general surgery,” Jesus de Pedro, main author of the study and head of prion monitoring in patients at the National Epidemiology Center of the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid, said in a statement to the press. The research team’s study, just published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry , came to this startling conclusion: the sporadic form of CJD strikes after a person has surgery — usually at least 20 years after an operation. The data suggests, Dr. DePedro stated, the disease enters and spreads much more quickly within the central or peripheral nervous system due to surgical procedures. So what makes this evidence so strong — and why hasn’t anyone noticed a clear surgery/CJD association before now? According to the authors of the new study, the key to finding the surgery and CJD connection was computerized surgery records kept in hospitals in Sweden and Denmark since the early l970s. These records allowed the researchers to see if people who had developed CJD had been surgery patients in past decades. With virtually no exceptions, they had been. Bottom line: the new findings point to an external and preventable cause for so-called sporadic CJD. It also raises the question about the true causes of other mind robbing maladies. “It may signify a shift in our understanding of the nature of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s,” the research team stated. “We might, therefore, ask ourselves if other types of motor neuron diseases can be transmitted through surgery and be latent for decades, such as those where risk factors, particularly physical professions and activities or certain sporting activities, for example, which are more likely to lead to surgery, have already been indicated.” For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20547628 http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cjd/detail_cjd.htm

Vast majority of people survive common thyroid cancer even without treatment

(NaturalNews) Mainstream medicine has reported in recent years that the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer — the most common form of thyroid malignancy — is growing at an alarming rate. In fact, the number of people diagnosed with this form of cancer, which typically arises as an irregular mass in an otherwise normal thyroid gland, has tripled over the past three decades. But a new study by Dartmouth Medical School researchers has come up with good news about this so-called “epidemic”. First of all, the cases of papillary thyroid cancer have most likely only appeared to increase — simply because of the huge surge in the use of ultrasound tests and biopsies. And it turns out the vast majority of people with this cancer survive it just fine, even if they receive no treatment at all. Background information included in the study, which was just published in the May issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery explains that papillary thyroid cancer is commonly found on autopsy among people who died of other causes. “Studies published as early as 1947 demonstrated it, and more recently, a report has shown that nearly every thyroid gland might be found to have a cancer if examined closely enough,” the study authors wrote. “The advent of ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy has allowed many previously undetected cancers to be identified, changing the epidemiology of the disease. Over the past 30 years, the detected incidence of thyroid cancer has increased three-fold, the entire increase attributable to papillary thyroid cancer and 87% of the increase attributable to tumors measuring less than 2 centimeters.” Louise Davies, M.D., of Dartmouth Medical School and Gilbert Welch, M.D., of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, investigated thyroid cancer cases and gathered data about the patients’ treatment from National Cancer Institute (NCI) registries. Then they looked for causes of death through the National Vital Statistics System. The researchers found that out of 35,663 people with papillary thyroid cancer which had not spread to the lymph nodes or other areas at diagnosis, 440 (1.2 percent) did not undergo immediate, definitive treatment (i.e. surgery). Six years later, follow-up research showed that only six of these patients had died of their cancer. This was virtually the same rate of cancer deaths among the 35,223 individuals who did undergo treatment, which involved having part or all of their thyroids removed. Specifically, the 20-year survival rate from cancer was 97 percent for those who did not receive treatment and 99 percent for those who did — a slight difference the Dartmouth scientists noted was not statistically significant. Bottom line: almost everyone diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer of any size confined to the thyroid survived whether they had treatment or not. “Thus, clinicians and patients should feel comfortable considering the option to observe for a year or longer cancers that fall into this category,” the researchers concluded. For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479371

Suffering From Vitiligo? Find Out The Major Vitiligo Treatment Techniques

Vitiligo is a skin ailment that causes slow de-pigmentation of the skin, causing it to discolour in small patches, which in course of time spread to almost the whole body. Debate over what exactly causes vitiligo is still ongoing, but it is found that people who have vitiligo, diabetes or thyroid running in their families [...]

Answering the Big Question: Choosing Between Liposuction and Smart Lipo

Liposuction has long been one of the most effective ways of drastic fat reduction. Of late, people have begun to prefer the faster and easier Smart Lipo treatment instead the good old liposuction method. You should consider the differences between the two methods and their suitability to your situation before deciding the one you would [...]

Transplanted organs impart memories onto recipients

(NaturalNews) Becoming an organ donor is a great way to help out a person in the event of one’s death. A study has shown, however, that sometimes donor recipients take on certain characteristics or personality traits from the donor, a phenomenon that researchers are having a difficult time explaining. Paul Pearsall, a neuropsychologist, wrote about this interesting topic in his book, The Heart’s Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy . In it, he provides insight into his belief that the physical heart contains within it memories belonging to its person. Part of Pearsall’s research for the book included tracking several real life cases of heart transplant recipients who mysteriously inherited some of their donors’ traits. In one case, a Spanish-speaking man began using words that he had not used prior to his transplant. He received his heart from a man named David who had died in a car accident. David’s wife, Glenda, when meeting the recipient of her husband’s heart for the first time, used the word “copacetic” to describe the situation. The recipient’s mother quickly replied that her son had begun using that word for the first time and that it did not even have a Spanish equivalent, indicating that he had adopted the word from David. The recipient’s son, who had before been a vegetarian, began craving meat and greasy food after his transplant. His music preferences also changed from favoring heavy metal to preferring fifties rock ‘n’ roll. All of these preferences turned out to be David’s preferences as well. In another case, an 8-year-old girl who had received a heart transplant from a 10-year-old girl that had been murdered, began to have nightmares about the donor’s murderer. After several consultations with a psychiatrist, it was decided that the police should be notified. The 8-year-old recipient was able to identify key clues about the murder, including who the murderer was, when and how it happened, and even the words spoken by the murderer to the victim. Amazingly, the entire testimony turned out to be true and the murderer was convicted for his crime. Pearsall’s 73 different case studies point to the fact that both the brain and the heart hold important information about a person. According to his analysis, cell communication that occurs throughout the body on a continual basis can continue to occur after an organ has been removed from one person and transplanted into another. Information from the donor seems to install into the recipient’s memory. Critics argue that such a phenomenon is not possible, but the proof is in the cases themselves. In one case, a 3-year-old Arab girl received a heart transplant from an 8-year-old Jewish boy who died in a car accident. After her surgery, the girl asked for a type of Jewish candy that, prior to the surgery, she did not even know existed. Sources for this story include: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/do-our-organs-have-memories.html

Heart transplants lead to skin cancer

(NaturalNews) A new study published by the Mayo Clinic in the journal Archives of Dermatology has revealed that roughly half of all patients who undergo a heart transplant end up getting skin cancer within 15 years of the surgery. Among the 312 people evaluated in the study, 1,395 different skin cancers emerged following surgery. Whenever a body part is surgically implanted, the body recognizes it as a foreign object and proceeds to attack it. Patients who undergo organ transplants usually have to take immune suppressant drugs for the rest of their lives in order to prevent the body from rejecting the organ. These drugs increase patients’ risk of developing cancer and other serious diseases. The Mayo Clinic study evaluated what types of skin cancers emerged following a heart transplant and found that all sorts of skin cancers, from minor to fatal, afflicted patients. While relatively rare, researchers discovered that some patients developed malignant melanomas, the most serious type of skin cancer. One study participant died from malignant melanoma. A 2005 study published in the journal CANCER revealed that patients who undergo kidney transplants are four times more prone to getting melanoma. As patients age, that risk continues to increase due to the long term immuno-suppressive action of the drugs. Other studies have found that organ transplant patients are at a higher of developing all cancers, not just skin cancer. Many doctors are encouraging patients who have undergone transplant surgery to perform self evaluations on a regular basis to identify the presence of skin cancer. By finding it early, the majority of skin cancers can be eradicated. Some also recommended that post surgery patients be screened regularly to help catch a developing cancer as early as possible. Amazingly, some experts believe that the increased cancer risk following surgery highlights the amazing success of contemporary transplant surgery techniques. Their logic concludes that since surgery prolongs a person’s life, those extra years allow additional time for future problems to materialize that would have otherwise been unable to. While it may seem like a great success to have developed advanced ways of transplanting organs, many may argue that having to take potentially life-threatening drugs in order to keep the organs functioning is actually an ironic failure. Not every transplant patient will end up getting cancer but a great many will live out the rest of their days in poor health due to severe drug side effects. Sources for this story include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2009/dec/22/skin-cancer-risks-for-heart-transplant-patients, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050929082808.htm

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